


Ties that Bind (And bring us together)

by AirIam



Series: Warm towards the Sun [1]
Category: Cardcaptor Sakura, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Ashido Can Dance, BAMF Izuku, BAMF Katsuki, Bakugou Katsuki is a Dork, Bakugou Surprisingly Doesn't Swear That Much in This One, F/F, F/M, Have fun trying to find out who is who, Iida's Brother Shows More than Iida Himself, Keep an Eye in Tokoyami, Kirishima Is Appreciated A Lot, M/M, Magic and Reincarnation AU, Ojiro Deserves Respect, Other, People Tagged Actually Do Things and Not Are Just Romantic Subplot, Shinsou for class 1-a, Sort of Vigilantism, The Bakusquad Has Interesting Jog Buds, Todoroki is a Sweatheart, Yaoyorozu Rocks, and his life isn't all suffering, he does get a major role in the second part tho, magic shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-12-21 03:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11934972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirIam/pseuds/AirIam
Summary: Syaoran was pretty sure he was dead. Or at least, last time he checked, getting stabbed in the heart was totally a lethal thing.In any case, the man was dead. And dead he would stay, at least if no one thought about breaking the laws which ruled the world by trying to bring him back to life.Not like it would work, anyway– Even if a power beyond reality that was able to allow that existed somehow, or somewhere. Even if such an insane spell did exist… Syaoran’s soul would never return to his old body, nor would he be his past-self again.Because when Syaoran Li was murdered at thirty-five years old and gave his last breath in life, Bakugou Katsuki took his first breath alive many years later.





	1. To live is to die, to die is to live

Syaoran was pretty sure he was dead. Or at least, last time he had checked, getting stabbed in the heart was totally a lethal thing.

However, since Syaoran could remember he was mentally prepared for it being like that: painful, merciless. Fairly early in his childhood, Syaoran Li already knew he would die either by fighting to protect his beloved ones, murdered by his enemies or, in the most mundane case, by treason. Closing his eyes and falling asleep to never wake up again? Nope, he would never give himself the luxury to think about such a peaceful manner to pass away.

Being the Head of an ancient Clan of sorcerers and Clow Reed’s descendant kind of did this to you.

In any case, Syaoran Li was dead. And dead he would stay, at least if no one thought about breaking the laws which ruled the world by trying to bring him back to life.

Not like it would work, anyway– Even if a power beyond reality that was able to allow that existed somehow, or somewhere. Even if such an insane spell did exist… Syaoran’s soul would never return to his old body, nor would he be his past-self again.

Because when Syaoran Li was murdered at thirty-five years old and gave his last breath in life, Bakugou Katsuki took his first breath alive many years later.

 

* * *

 

Syaoran wasn’t an idiot. Besides, he had known —and in Hiiragizawa’s case, disliked— two reincarnations before. It never took too long for him to earn the memories from his past life, or took that much to understand what had happened, even if everything seemed downright puzzling and nonsensical.

For Syaoran, it was only a few minutes after passing away.

Then he had opened his eyes, now trapped in a four-year-old toddler body.

The man knew better than to freak out. Still, his legs began to falter as he clenched his hand on his chest by reflex, because shit– _It hurt._ It _did_ hurt so much. There was no physical injury, it was the memory– A ghost pain ran through the boy– _his_ body. And then Syaoran understood.

_Fuck._ He was dead.

He was pretty much _fucking_ dead.

_He pretty much went and just fucking died._

Syaoran went and did the only thing Sakura made him promise not to do. Wait, _Sakura–!_ Oh, man! She would tear him apart if Syaoran wasn’t already dead, and he would totally allow her to do so because, how dare Syaoran leave Sakura that way?

The pain faded slowly away, but the boy– _Syaoran’s_ heart sunk in guilt and sadness. His wife’s pretty face popped up in his mind, the emeralds she had for eyes filled with concern. The man, now turned a kid, could almost hear Sakura asking in that lovely way of hers if he was okay.

The answer was also obvious. **_Syaoran was not okay._**

He wasn’t supposed to be in that– _this_ body.

He wasn’t supposed to be there– _here_ at all.

He wasn’t supposed to be _alive._

Suddenly, a yell broke through the air, snapping Syaoran out of his inner panicking and the other obnoxious feelings swirling inside him.

“Kacchan?!” It was a young voice. _Too young,_ in fact. Why…?

_Right._ This was a very young body, so before Syaoran’s soul had fully awoke and broke the seal of his old memories, the boy was surely doing… toddler things, with his toddler friends– _What do normal brats even do?_ Syaoran honestly didn’t know. After all, he was raised to be a leader and started both martial arts and magic training at very young age, and on top of that he had only sisters, his cousin was also female and the two people he was closest to were also girls.

His only male friend in his past life was Yamazaki, and they hadn’t even been that close.

Syaoran really missed them.

“Are you okay?!” The other voice cried, more high-pitched than the one who apparently called him before.

“Kacchan, what’s wrong?!” Ah, there was another kid?

Syaoran hadn’t noticed when he had shut his eyes, though he could tell very well why he did so. Opening his right eye, he saw three kids in total surrounding him: one with a slender silhouette and brown hair, his face giving this ‘little crap’ aura; then much to Syaoran’s surprise there was a kid with _dragon wings_ on his back, but the man-turned-toddler thought the kid’s thick body wouldn’t be practical for using them properly– And _finally,_ there was someone plain-looking, if you ignore the green hair and those eight oddly-well alienated freckles on his cheeks.

The three of them bore concerned expressions, but it was the Freckled One who seemed worried the most. This made Syaoran realize how pathetically he was dealing with this situation. For a brief second, shame washed over the other feelings and memories haunting him, and the man decided go to freak out and grieve by himself somewhere else so as not to scare these kids to death.

“Sorry, I’m not feeling well.” Syaoran– No, _Kacchan,_ lied dispassionately. He tried hard to collect himself and stop panting for breath, but it was easier said than done. “I think I should head back home.”

He stood up, turned around and ran before they had the chance to say anything.

 

* * *

 

Syaoran had successfully hid himself out of sight at a tube tunnel in a small park. It was ridiculous, seeing the former Head of the powerful Li Clan and Card Mistress’ husband like that. But something he had loved Sakura for was teaching him that he was allowed to be more open about his feelings, and he also owed a big one to Tomoyo too, for telling him frequently that they weren’t fit to mock.

Right now, Syaoran was downright scared.

He was dead, and alone.

_Alone._ Yeah, that was what hurt him the most. He was alone in this world again. Syaoran’s loved ones surely had passed away a long time ago… and there was his soul, still screwing around. He hadn't expected this to happen.

Syaoran had witnessed, starred, and in other cases, had been a mere extra for a certain number of quirky and strange events not at all within the framework of normalcy. In addition, in his time there was information on the matter of reincarnation. Cryptic and with the logic of a Confucian saying, but there it was, adding to the old writings the ambiguous explanations from the reincarnation of his problematic great-great-and-even-more-greats ancestor and his pseudo-crisis of identity, which now Syaoran could really understand.

Having found himself in a child’s body was not really _that_ surprising. Still, the shock of literally wake up straight after his murder, being the last memory of his past-self literally _getting stabbed to death_ fairly would bring out the worst of anyone.

As time passed Syaoran started to calm down, and new memories started to overflow. The man began to understand who the boy– _He_ was now.

Bakugou Katsuki. Four-years old. He went to Kindergarten and led a small group of little troublemakers. His parents were Bakugou Mitsuki and Bakugou Masaru, both them were designers.

Heh, Tomoyo would’ve loved to hear that.

“… Are you feeling better now?”

Syaoran snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of that high-pitched voice, somehow familiar and objectively less annoying than the Sun Guardian’s, Kerberos (at least in his false appearance).

Sitting near to him was the Freckled One, small legs clenched close to his chest and tiny arms wrapped around his thin limbs. Emerald eyes stared at him with concern. How did the boy find him? And most important, _when?_ Was Syaoran– _Katsuki,_ his name was Katsuki now. Was he zoned out _that deep_ to not even notice someone’s proximity to him, or it had something to do with this new body?

Katsuki had plenty questions, but he didn’t express any of them aloud. Although the Freckled One seemed as if he could tell the other was silently wondering.

Katsuki’s assumptions were proved wrong when the other boy, almost jerking up and nearly smacking his head into the ceiling by accident, stated:

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, Kacchan!”

Seems like the Freckled One had totally misunderstood his expression. Well then, he wasn’t in the mood to make up lame excuses anyways.

“… How long have you been here?” The now child asked hoarsely; he was tired both emotionally and physically, yet Katsuki still wanted some answers. _Badly._

“A while.” The curly-haired kid said sheepishly, looking down as he was fidgeting anxiously with his fingers. “I-I’m sorry, but I was worried!”

Within Katsuki a small voice snarled something, which suspiciously sounded like _‘will you ever stop to getting your nose in my damn business?’_ In his former life, as his ten-year old and past-self, Syaoran Li would have agreed. Now that he has literally a thirty-five old man’s soul, Katsuki knew better than be a brat when someone worried about his well-being, even if he didn’t know —or didn’t remember— this person yet.

“There’s no need to worry about a stomach ache.” Bakugou stated all matter-of-fact.

“Kacchan,” the other boy spoke softly, “I know you lied.” Katsuki’s blood ran cold. “I don’t know why, and even if I’m dying to know I’m not gonna pry. I just didn’t want to leave you alone.”

“… And how, exactly, did you find me?”

At his question, the Freckled One _winced._

“I-I had, you know– A gut feeling.”

_‘A gut feeling’,_ huh. Yeah, Syaoran sure did know those well, after all his death was indirectly triggered because he hadn’t listened to his own gut feeling. Still, Katsuki could tell the other kid was hiding something from him, yet what it was escaped his knowledge; the green-haired boy wasn’t downright lying, but saying half of the truth.

Yet, since Katsuki there was hiding his own world-view changing secret, he also didn’t pry.

 

* * *

 

Turns out, the two kids lived not so far away from each other, therefore Katsuki and the other boy ended walking home together in awkward silence. As they walked, Katsuki started to get a plenty amount of brief flashbacks, quickly gaining recognition of his surroundings and being able to tell once more which path he had to follow to get that now small ass of his into the Bakugou abode.

Katsuki also could tell that both he and the Freckled One would go their separate ways soon.

While the man-now-turned-child had more tact than admitting out loud he didn’t remember the other kid’s name, Katsuki still wanted to know. Because he couldn’t just keep referring to the other using some character’s lame name from a RPG Quest.

Fortunately, the boy did carry a small bag with his name on it. The blond aimed for the first name, since they were supposed to be on a first-name basis; Japanese kids usually did it until some point in elementary school.

“Oi, Deku.” He called.

Unfortunately, Syaoran-Katsuki had read it wrong.

“What– What’s a ‘Deku’, Kacchan?” The green-haired child had stopped and glanced back at him, slowly frowning. More than anything he looked curious.

“You.” The blond tried to explain himself once he received a _‘What?’_ look. “I mean, your name…”

_Geez,_ Syaoran Li lived in Japan for almost ten years before he had to move back to Hong Kong and still made such rookie mistake? His friends would have never let him live it down if they had known.

Fortunately, Syaoran is dead and Tomoyo can’t tease the shit out of him for this. The only mid-decent good realization he had come up with all day.

“Izuku!” Said boy cried. “My name is Izuku! You know that!”

No, he didn’t. Or at least he couldn’t remember right then.

“Your name can be read as Deku.” And well, there wasn’t no lie in there.

“You can read?!” Katsuki isn’t surprised in the slightest to learn the other can’t. After all, they were four. But why did Izuku have to look so amazed? The sight of his eyes shining about such a trivial fact almost made him chuckle. It was cute. “Wow, that’s cool!” Yet, he ended pouting. These kids and their mood changes. “But what does ‘Deku’ even mean?”

Honestly, Bakugou would like to know.

“Turn back for a second.” The blond commanded and the other boy obliged.

Taking a longer look from the tag on Izuku’s bag —now truly confirming it was meant to be read as Midoriya Izuku, and he had interpreted ‘Izuku’ in its other reading—, it took him a few seconds to realize the horrible meaning of the kanjis.

_What the hell?!_ ‘Deku’, of all things, meant useless. What kind of parents named their kid without checking first if the kanjis would backfire? Did they want their child to be bullied or what?

One thing was sure, he couldn’t say that to the little Midoriya, it would break his heart for sure.

So, he pulled a Tomoyo and blatantly lied in a nonchalant manner to protect Izuku’s feelings:

“It sounds like ‘Dekiru.’ It means you can do it, whatever you’re aiming for.”

Good thing Syaoran’s wife also used to be a crier, because Katsuki needed to evoke all his past experience to calm down Izuku’s cries of happiness.

The blonde would never tell a soul, but that was about the moment when he had developed a soft spot for his new friend.

 

* * *

 

Whereas the blond was now _technically_ a crybaby, he didn't have to play the part when no one wasn’t looking. And yet, that’s basically what he did. At first, Katsuki stayed in negation, denying everything and even tried to fight against his own soul —which looking back was kind of hilarious—, then realized he was just throwing a fit and proceeded to collect himself. This time for real. _Sakura wouldn’t want him to be sulking like this._

Actually, he could picture his wife lecturing him just fine. Saying in that optimistic way of hers that this was meant to be, that this was his opportunity to start again from scratch with a few cheats up his sleeve, or whatever silly thing she made up on the spot to make him laugh again.

And she would succeed, as she always did.

Kinomoto Sakura showed him what feeling alive was like– _No,_ she taught Syaoran what _love and life_ meant. Something that no one could put outright into words no matter how hard they had tried, but she made him feel them with her actions, her words, her caring eyes and her lovely smile. And he couldn’t ever forget. He would never forget that feeling rushing through his veins, the fresh air on his lungs filling him with happiness in every breath, the laughter and joy locked in his throat.

Syaoran would always cherish those things, because they were attached to Sakura. It was his gift from her.

_Tomoyo wouldn’t ever let him be so salty._

His dear friend had taught him in a way completely different from Sakura, but what he’d learn from her was something that no one else would have been able to teach him properly. Because while Sakura showed him how to feel, Tomoyo taught him how to embrace those feelings.

Syaoran was a bit hot-headed himself, and he’s not embarrassed to admit he lacks in the emotional intelligence department. Which just happened to be Tomoyo’s true magic.

Daidouji Tomoyo was plenty things, and if he had to summarized her in a few words he would describe her as graciously polite, ethereal beautiful and breathtaking talented. In one word? _Amazing._ She wasn’t a porcelain doll, though. Her amethyst eyes shone with fierceness, and her true strength lied in her golden heart and her silver tongue.

Tomoyo was a true seeker, a secret holder but also a very wise woman; she valued self-realization and thus wouldn’t ever interfere in the process too directly, unless it was necessary. She wouldn’t give him the right answer if he asked for advice, but would always point out the right path to follow; because people had to fight, to give and lose to learn by themselves, in order to appreciate the meaning that lay behind it. Yet his friend would always come near to keep him steady with her words whenever Syaoran was feeling overwhelmed, _‘because there’s nothing wrong with giving support when someone needs it.’_

_Meilin would certainly kick his ass if only she knew he was acting like Eriol._

The thought almost cracked a genuine smile on his lips, keyword: _almost._ Because among all of them, his cousin was the blunt one who took no bullshit. It was somehow refreshing, since Sakura was careful enough towards other people’s feelings even if she was mad at them and Tomoyo always expressed in a way both polite and formal, making really hard to tell what was going on in her mind.

Meilin lacked filters and mannerisms. Some people would call her an egoist, rude and self-centered brat, but Syaoran knew better; his cousin was very honest and passionate to the bone. If she wanted to cry, scream, throw a fit or whatever, she just did it shamelessly.

Before going Tomoeda, Syaoran had misread her as almost everyone did, because he used to suppress his own feelings and wasn’t exactly a social kid, especially since Syaoran Li was his family heir and that obviously kept him busy. It took him a while, to realize how strong Meilin was for being able to stay like that, considering how both of them were raised. Even if she wasn’t meant to go through the same path as him, she still had a strict education as a Li family member.

From her, he learned how to be loyal to himself and honest with the desires of his heart.

A few weeks later, he finally got over it after Syaoran’s soul was done with grieving. Or at least when he felt ready enough to start moving on. Bakugou Katsuki now had the experience of a grown man, he could use it to his benefit. And he would.

Katsuki still missed the things Syaoran Li had had in life: his wife, his family and friends, which also were part of said family. Without them he felt empty and there wasn’t shame in admitting it. For Katsuki it was like nothing had changed at all, but once he had those memories rushing back he finally _understood._

The blond didn’t know these people, but they did _know_ him: who he was, what drove him and what he needed. And they taught both Syaoran Li and Bakugou Katsuki not only the meaning of love and life itself, but also the true meaning of strength and what was worth protecting.

Good thing Heroes were a thing now.


	2. This life is Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katsuki reluctantly gives his first steps into this messy world, almost blowing up his face in the process.

It seemed as if utter nonsense was a surefire way to certify the world still was doing okay.

After a few weeks, Katsuki and Syaoran’s memories were whole, as it should be. They organized as layers, carefully, not to overwrite each other; this is how the line between Bakugou Katsuki and Syaoran Li became so thin, that he almost forgot the two were —initially, at least— totally different people.

His knowledge as Bakugou Katsuki helped to fill the gap between years. It wasn’t that much, as he was a child in this new life, but toddlers always asked things out of the blue so the blond could get his way around easily. Either way, having a basic notion of things was more than welcome.

For what Katsuki gathered, you could write down ‘Hero’ in your Academic Track Aspiration Report and no one would bat an eye. Being Hero was a respected profession nowadays, although it wasn’t really surprising– It wasn’t only that time had passed, humanity as well had turned upside-down, as the child with dragon wings he saw the day Syaoran’s soul awoke, could prove.

People now possessed the capacity to develop, if they didn’t actually carry them since birth, abilities that came in a fairly large amount of spectrums: psychic powers, extra sensory abilities, mutations, and in some cases, supernatural powers.

They were superpowers, to summarize. ‘Quirk’ was the official denomination.

Apparently, people nowadays were either born with a Quirk or developed them by the age of four, at the latest. Of course, late bloomers did exist, but it usually didn’t take more than a couple of years; by hitting puberty without a Quirk everyone would assume you just don’t have one, because it seemed unlikely to happen.

Those who didn’t develop a Quirk were called ‘Quirkless.’ Basically, normal people who made up twenty percent of the current human population. Numbers had been reversed dramatically and now those who used to be the majority —forcing wizards, sorcerers, magicians, magical creatures, and humans with special talents to hide—, were those who were marginalized by the same society from which they once held the reins.

In this new life, as far as Syaoran had observed through Katsuki’s eyes, being Quirkless was even worse than being disabled. Not that possessing a disability was a bad thing —that was beyond one’s own control, after all— but the Japanese were not exactly open-minded about certain issues, such as jutting out like a sore thumb.

The Japanese had this paradoxical sense of equality that led them to discriminate against everything they considered different. Adapt or be ostracized, that was the norm. Also the reason behind the cases of bullying and the huge amount of suicides across the country.

In his previous life, he hadn’t even been Japanese. There were those who looked at Syaoran with disdain or suspicion in the streets just for that, but he was never openly marginalized in school —not until University, at least— because at the end of the day he had managed to blend, somehow. Syaoran had made friends. Even if he was a foreigner, that was enough, so no one bothered him. And if there was someone xenophobic around, at least things were kept at a civilian level in front other people to not make a scene.

It was a cruel system that some teachers had turned into a twisted and unfair method: _integration through segregation._ By doing nothing to stop bullying, or even encouraging such behavior, they hoped the victim would just try harder so they could belong to the group someday.

Syaoran disliked such method in his former life, even when he never had been in the end of it; and he detested it even more now. There was no way that Quirkless people could integrate into the current society, people —stupid, ignorant people— were unable to understand that they were asking for the impossible and also, despising an equal by a simple characteristic that didn’t affect their physical abilities, understanding or intelligence.

People acted like this due to the simple fact that they were, apparently, unable to take two seconds of their time to think logically and notice they had been conditioned to be assholes, or realize that even if they didn’t want to, simply by letting themselves be brainwashed like that they had become disgusting people.

Well, it seemed as if that was the only trait of humanity that would remain unalterable over time.

_(Stupidity should be labeled as fatal disease, maybe that way people would actually care enough to get rid of it.)_

 

* * *

 

It’s April 28. Eight days after Katsuki’s birthday, two days after he recalled his former life and twenty-seven days after his wife’s birthday, when it happens. First time the blond uses his Quirk, and he almost blows his face off by accident.

 _“What the actual fuck.”_ Was the boy natural reaction.

All he wanted to do was clean some sweat off his face, and Katsuki succeeded but then the small towel in his hand exploded out of the blue.

Don’t get him wrong, the explosion did little to startle him. As Syaoran, he could summon fucking lightning or any one of the four elements if he wanted, for Clow’s sake. Lightning was his classic way to go through most situations back then, too.

However, Syaoran Li had never made things combust through his _sweat._

To summarize it, the Doctor who checked him said that Katsuki’s Quirk was basically sweating some liquid nitroglycerin-like substance from his palms, which allowed him to create explosions. A combination of both his parent’s quirks.

It was amazingly gross.

 _Intriguing?_ Yeah. _Fascinating?_ In an odd way. _Useful?_ Certainly. But it was gross, nonetheless.

 

* * *

 

The Bakugous were… something.

It felt awkward at first, being around them right after the process of adapting to his new life evoked what the life of a Li was like. They were exactly the opposite of the classic Li model: loud, expressive and passionate, but also affectionate, caring and loving. It was a happy home, similar the one where Sakura and Syaoran Li had lived together, before moving out of the country to attend the call of duty in Hong Kong.

Yet, as Katsuki found himself thinking with fondness about the Bakugou abode as the days passed, he started to notice the resemblance between his past and current life.

Bakugou Mitsuki was nothing like Ieran Li, they seemed to differ in all aspects: mom and mother, blonde and ravenette, loud and calm, present and distant, Sun and Moon. Nonetheless, those were only superficial differences and deep inside they were very alike.

Ieran Li was a Clan Head. A terrifying meticulous beauty, an austere woman capable to take hard decisions wisely for the sake of her family, even if they seemed unorthodox. Ieran carried the weight of the consequences coming from her own actions, the sins of her ancestors and the mistakes of her kind with her chin up, all the while holding herself with confidence and ready to wage war in case her powerful words weren’t enough.

As mother she was strict and harsh. Ieran always kept her distance if it wasn’t to impart private lessons to her progeny. For everyone else she seemed unapproachable, unreachable and inflexible, but her children understood the woman always had her kin’s well-being in mind. They could see through her stern mask. They could see the truth of their situation.

Being her children meant they were constantly in the spotlight, therefore they were targets to whoever who wanted to take down Ieran Li. As her husband once was. Ieran couldn’t allow it to happen again, that’s why she had to play her part smoothly in order to protect her children; after all, most wouldn’t bother trying to hurt her offspring if she didn’t seemed to care. Yet it was the way she showed her love for them.

“Rise and shine, Little Shit!”

Bakugou Mitsuki, on the other hand, had nothing holding her back. She was like an explosion (no pun intended). The woman would literally make her way in by kicking Katsuki’s bedroom door and start wreaking havoc like a natural disaster. Passionate in unusual doses, perhaps. Familiarity and yells were the norm, there was no room for loneliness whenever Mitsuki was at home.

“C’mon Katsuki, get your ass off your bed.”

At first he considered her behavior as intrusive, rude and annoying. After all the only thing he wanted was being left alone to mourn in peace. Her touch made Syaoran stiff, but once he was done with his own bullshit and started to _try_ , it wasn’t that hard getting used to the woman.

“Mom.” Katsuki groaned. Okay, so he may or may not have started to see her as a mother figure as well, because _fuck it, she was Katsuki’s mother after all_. But he wasn’t replacing Ieran with Mitsuki, it wouldn’t be fair to either of them. “It’s Sunday, let me sleep!”

“Uh-huh. Your father and I cleared our schedules today only to go to Tokyo Disney with you and the Midoriyas, I’m not taking any of your bullshit. You can sleep in the car!”

“Fine.” The blond snarled groggily, rubbing his eyes. He grew a bit attached to sleeping since Katsuki’s body was still too small to start training properly in martial arts. Next year for sure, but this was almost a sabbatical one. It was nice actually having some time to spend normally. “Wait, Izuku is coming too?”

“Yeah.” The woman jerked an eyebrow, as if his question was a strange one. Although it didn’t matter since Mitsuki just brushed it off in the end.

_“Why?”_

“Well… I suppose we’ve never told you, right? Ah, fuck it, I’m telling you anyways. Better done sooner than later.” She said before starting to explain. “Your father and Inko, Izuku’s mom, were classmates in high school; since Hisashi, that’s Izuku’s dad, got promoted and went to work overseas in America, Inko has to raise Izuku alone. And well… you know your father, he’s a softie.” His mom shrugged. “Once in a while he wants to cheer her up, and you kids are the perfect excuse to hang out.” Suddenly, Mitsuki was grinning. “Can you keep a secret?” Katsuki nodded, because now he was curious. She hovered over his bed and whispered in his ear lowly: “I don’t really like Disney.”

 _‘I’m not gonna go and mess this up’,_ that was what she really meant. Which spoke highly of Bakugou Mitsuki and showed the love and affection she held for her husband.

If Syaoran knew something, it was that marriage meant two things: compromise and sacrifice.

Once the honeymoon stage ended, it was when the couple had to truly face the rough path ahead. There would be times in which neither of them would agree with each other. There would be times where they wouldn’t be in sync and words must be exchanged. There would _always_ be fights. And there would be times when both had to make a choice between something personal and their partners.

Mitsuki was a tough woman, stubborn and seemed like a bit of a handful to an outsider’s point of view. Yet she chose to stay calm and indulge her partner to calm his worries. If that wasn’t being committed, what was then?

Katsuki couldn’t help and smirked.

 

* * *

 

Having a dad felt both nice and weird.

Syaoran’s own father was killed when he was really young. Indeed, if there weren’t a number of portraits within the Li manor, he wouldn’t have be able to remember the face of the man once known as Hien Li.

The nearest thing to a father figure Syaoran Li grew up with was his manservant —slash tutor in any subject Ieran didn’t find the need to teach her son by herself—, Wei. He was a wise old man with soft eyes, always polite and practical, but every action towards Syaoran and his sisters carried an underlying affection from his part.

Role model aside, the man was almost like a grandfather.

Bakugou Masaru resembled Wei somehow. Both of them shared a calm demeanor and, when looking at the young sorcerer, there was only fondness and understanding. They were also more than meets the eye.

While Wei was a fairly old man and seemed innocuous all time, he was far from being so. Despite his age and looks, Syaoran’s former manservant could easily take down trained assassins with a smooth knock delivered by the back of his hand. _No kidding._ Syaoran himself had witnessed Wei’s combat skills firsthand when he was around seven or so; the sorcerer didn’t remember the whole ordeal, but someone had sneaked their way into Syaoran’s chambers and Wei came from only-God-knows-where and took care of the problem.

Of course, the back then brunette didn’t know _what_ happened when it happened, but he came to realize the truth as he grew up.

Masaru also held himself in a fashion that screamed harmless, but there was something off. Someone like Mitsuki would _never_ respect a partner who couldn’t stand her tough behavior and stand up as an equal in his own right. There had to be something else about the man, something that only Katsuki’s mom saw.

“Good morning, son.” Masaru glanced once to his son and laughed softly, ruffling his spiky strands of blond hair before helping his only child to fix his t-shirt.

_Oh well, Katsuki still had plenty of years to figure it out._

“Morning, dad.” The boy said, trying his best not to slur any word.

Even after properly waking up, brushing his teeth and putting on his clothes, _Katsukill.exe_ wasn’t working properly. The old soul within the youngest Bakugou almost begged for coffee, then remembered he didn't have to work and allowed himself to nod off.

Mitsuki felt gentle enough to carry his little body and secure him on the backseat of the car. Once there, they were ready to go. Throughout the way Katsuki was almost lulled to sleep due to the car’s soothing movement. Until the Midoriyas got in.

The first thing which earned his attention was Mrs. Midoriya. He was a bit curious about what Izuku’s mother looked like, because for some reason Katsuki didn’t remember meeting her, and now seeing the woman made it clear as day who Izuku took after. Mother and son shared the same shade of green hair, emerald eyes and skin tone, that’s true. But they also had a similar body language and it was pretty easy to tell what they were thinking.

Objectively speaking, she was pretty. Midoriya Inko had a thin, slender body; and her face was a nice one, with big-rounded green eyes, rosy cheeks and an endearing smile on her lips. Although, Katsuki would rather prefer to use the term ‘cute’ to describe her, in a ‘girl next door’ fashion. She was pretty in normal standards, but that was it.

“Good morning, Katsuki-kun.” The woman said as she carefully helped to place her son next to him. The blond actually didn’t remember if he replied at all, but since his mother didn’t yell, he probably greeted Mrs. Midoriya back.

The boy was more awake by the time he greeted his friend, though.

“Morning, Deku.”

“… Morning, Kacchan.” The green-haired boy yawned, rubbing his left eye. “Sleepy?” Izuku asked as Katsuki mimicked his actions.

“Damn straight.”

Mitsuki’s head whipped as she shouted like one of those stereotypically hypocrite, and usually used as comedy relief or antagonist, religious character:

“Katsuki! Where the fuck did you learn those words?!”

“Did you hear yourself just now?” He couldn’t help but sass back.

“Oh, my.” Izuku giggled as his mother covered her mouth with her hand, but Katsuki knew she found his response amusing. Thanks to the rear-view mirror he also caught a glimpse of his father smiling.

His mother frowned, opened her mouth… then sighed in defeat.

“You sure took after me a lot, Little Shit.”

 _‘Yes,’_ Katsuki thought to himself. Maybe this new life wasn’t too bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is not full beta-ed, but it was almost done last month. Since my beta has a hectic schedule, has recovered recently from a bad case of cold and my own schedule is gonna be pretty thigh starting September, I decided to do what I can now to keep things moving on. Because this is a looong series guys. I want to give you quality chapters, but I don’t want to be a burden for my beta nor be too clingy. So there's the possibility that in the future I update some no beta-ed chapters.


	3. I'm Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or: Katsuki pulls an All Might better than All Might himself.

Japanese children were raised to be independent.

It starts at Kindergarten age. If there are enough kids in the neighborhood, a student of sixth grade is trusted by the parents to walk a group of toddlers from a common stop to daycare and vice-versa.

In elementary school, children began to slowly being trusted with small tasks. First, they split in groups to do the cleaning. They were taught that way to keep humble and be respectful towards the janitors. Because, sometimes, there’s no better way to understand something that by doing it yourself.

That was the purpose behind Home Economics as well. About third grade, kids learned how to sew and cook. It didn’t matter if they were good or bad at it, because they would develop decent skills given enough time. If not, well... at least the adults _tried_ to pass down the basic knowledge to keep alive the next generation.

As careless as it might seemed, kids were allowed to wander outside and walked freely in the streets, too. No one would bat an eye unless it was past curfew. Japan was a relatively safe place before, when Syaoran Li was alive, and so it was now.

Sure, villains were out there; but there were heroes as well. People had no time to cry for tragedies that still didn’t happen and that might never will, there were more pressing matters on hand for them: they had to went out and live their short lives. Humans had been surviving for ages with that way of thinking.

 _Humanity changes, humanity adapts._ The moment they didn’t, the moment they give in and leave the fear taking control over themselves, that moment humanity will meet its end.

Thankfully, there will always be two kind of people: those who fell in fear, and those who arose to fight it back. Even if not all were made equal, for every thousand cowards there will be one brave soul; for every oppressor there will be someone willing to fight them, for every villain there will be a hero.

Now, just what kind of people the next generation will be?

 

* * *

 

After their trip to Disneyland, Katsuki got used to hang out with Izuku. The blond might not admit it, but it was obvious he had grow fond of him, the runt was like the little brother neither Syaoran nor Katsuki ever had.

It was hard not to like him. Child or not, Deku —damn, he got used to that friggin’ name— was smart, kind and more considerate than most children at his age. The boy reminded him of all things worth to protect in the world: pureness, kindness, sincerity. The blond could tell Izuku would grow in a fine young man. If the freckled-boy could overcome his shyness, that’s it.

The brats in the Kindergarten used to made fun of the small Midoriya. _Used,_ because once Katsuki stepped in everyone had quiet it down. That day he learned that, apparently, he was the Alpha Toddler around or something alike.

Well then, if they gave Bakugou power over them, he would make use of it wisely.

A seed can’t sprout if everyone keep stepping on it. And Izuku was a four-year old kid, for the love of God. Why the fuck mattered if he still didn’t learn how to read flawlessly? Sure, the Japanese scholar system was above average —and they were competitive as fuck, mind you— yet, Midoriya Izuku’s situation wasn’t a problem to claim him different from everyone else. To say _he_ was a problem.

Deku was a kid. He would wet his bed sometimes, be afraid of monsters, slur some words and get embarrassed if ending saying something he didn’t meant to. He would go hyperactive if ate too much sweets, would adamantly deny that he’s tired yet doze-off as soon as his head touched a soft surface, and would be easily tricked with crazy arguments if you looked confident enough while speaking.

Midoriya Izuku was just a normal, average boy, with his green eyes gleaming in everlasting wonder. Only heavens know what awaited him in the future but, for now, the sky seemed as the limit.

But just as the saying goes, bad things tends to happen good people.

It’s July 24 when life throws the low-blow. A week after Izuku’s fourth birthday, with five days left before the summer break begins. The aforesaid was nowhere to be found in the usual stop were Masayuki-kun, the trustworthy kid in Katsuki’s neighborhood, usually picked both Izuku and he for Daycare. So Bakugou guessed Midoriya would skip, _again._

Deku had been absent on Monday due to a medical appointment. For what his little friend had told him, Mrs. Midoriya was concerned about Izuku’s quirk. Or rather, the lack thereof. It hadn’t manifested yet and obviously the fact concerned his mother. And Deku, who wanted a Quirk more than anything else in the world, obviously was interested in finding out what was going on with him. _‘In order to start planning what kind of Hero he would make in the future’_ (his words, not Katsuki’s).

Katsuki tried to reassure the Midoriyas by telling them everything would turn just fine, that there was no need to get all worked up, because his own quirk came a bit late so he had a solid point to support his statement. Even so, the blond had to agree with Mrs. Midoriya when she said it wouldn’t hurt to check— Although, Bakugou would have preferred that the woman had not made it sound las if Izuku might have a terminal disease, there was no need to make a big deal out of it.

He was proven wrong about ten minutes later.

Another day in Kinder had just started. The kids spread across the room, most of them gathered near the blackboard where their teachers usually announced what they would be doing for the day. But there was nothing written on it, none of the two adults in charge were at sight, and even so the children were oddly quiet.

If something was up, that sure as hell was the first omen. Kids weren’t just _quiet_ without a reason.

“Ne, ne! Katsuki!” Honda called his name. The little girl almost trip and fell as she raced towards him, but she managed to keep her balance and stopped before the blond, bouncing excitedly on her feet.

“Makoto.” The boy greeted his physical fellow toddler, while trying hard not to grimace; after the whole ‘soul awakening’ thing, it was kind of hard for him to call someone by their first name, Katsuki’s conscience —which weirdly enough sounded like Meilin— nagged him about manners every now and then if he did so. He couldn’t help but try to humor the girl though, after all she was about to willingly answer all the questions flowing in his mind. “What’s going on?”

“Mommy had to leave early and dropped me by!” She started to tell her story, rather happily. “Today I was the first, so I saw when Izuku and his mom got here!” Wait, what? So Deku _did_ come? For some reason, Something about it felt obnoxious. “She’s was with the teachers and I couldn’t help but took a small peek in!” The blond supposed she was talking about the teachers’ rest room. “Then I heard it! You wouldn’t ever guess, but Izuku is–”

Katsuki stopped paying attention as he spotted a mop of green hair in the corner of the room. Whatever Honda said next, the boy missed it as he made his way towards a trembling Izuku, who obviously fought against the urge of shedding tears.

“Izuku.” Said boy peered up when Bakugou called his name. He looked so fragile, so _sad._

Bakugou’s heart sunk as the unpleasant feeling from before became stronger.

“Kacchan…” Izuku sobbed, and suddenly small hands held the blond’s t-shirt as if it was an anchor. Bakugou didn’t think, he just hugged the kid back as Deku delivered the news: “I’m quirkless.” A faint statement, but he was able to hear it.

Katsuki’s grip on his friend tightened.

_(Life was so unfair sometimes.)_

 

* * *

 

By lunch time, everyone was talking about it.

Katsuki kept his cool mostly for Izuku’s sake. No one dared to come nearby and bother the boy as Bakugou sat next to him, watching the other children like a hawk to its prey.

That didn’t stop them of commenting on it, though.

“Did you hear? Izuku is quirkless!” Deku flinched as Amano y Fujita whispered, eyeing him not-so-subtlety. The blond took his friend’s hand and squeezed it a little beneath the table, just to make sure Midoriya got distracted enough. It was okay, they weren’t saying anything really bad, just sharing the news, as terrible as they were. It would pass. “He’s useless after all.”

_Alright, that was it._

_“_ ** _Enough!_** _”_ Katsuki raised his voice, and even the teachers winced as he stood up, knocking off his seat in the process. The room went silent as he glared the children. Did Bakugou felt guilt? Absolutely not, these little shits had it coming.

The blond had just settled a goddamned rule, in order to keep a polite and civilized coexistence between everyone: _don’t fucking dare to mess with Midoriya Izuku_. And they just went and did it. Well then, now they were about to learn how scaring Bakugou Katsuki could be when he got mad.

“Don’t care who is it, next one that starts talking **_bullshit_ ** is gonna answer to me! **Got it?!** ”

Of fucking course, the teachers called out _Katsuki_ due to _his_ behavior, and dragged him away hoping that a half-assed scold would fixt this. Well, surprise, _it wouldn’t._

“Katsuki-kun… I know you and Izuku are friends.” Okumura-sensei tried to approach him gently, but Bakugou didn’t fall for the woman silky voice, much less let her hand reach out to him. “I do understand if you feel upset about this situation, but–”

“I’m not upset because Izuku is quirkless.” He cut in without delay. “I’m upset, because everyone’s making a big fuss over this when there’s no need to!”

Yes, Midoriya Izuku has no quirk. But he has two eyes, fully sight, all his limbs, could talk very well for a runt and wasn’t nothing close to being stupid. Yet, there was everybody: starting to blame Deku’s quirkleness for all things they didn’t like about him, as if it was a kind of mortal disease or mental illness. It was infuriating.

An emotional outburst should be enough to win Okumura-sensei over. However, Katsuki knew better. It would work only for a few days and then everything would be back to the same, the boy couldn’t earn her loyalty; the woman would never be truly on his side, simply because they didn’t share beliefs. Okumura was young, naïve and probably grew up being fed with all the society's bullshit. She wasn’t trustworthy.

Fujisaki-san, the male caregiver, was another story entirely.

For what Bakugou knew, the man had kids on his own. He also seemed to be a single father… although, that part was a just wild guess. Katsuki just overheard about Fujisaki’s secondary work two months ago, which explained why the man looked so tired sometimes, and made Katsuki wonder how could he smile all day. He’d also never once mentioned his wife, yet the man loved to talk about his daugther.

If anyone would side Katsuki for what he had to say, it would be Fujisaki.

“Aren’t you two in charge?”

“O-of course, Katsuki-kun!” Okumura didn’t take the hint, as she replied even when the blond was making eye contact with Fujisaki. “Our job is to keep you safe.”

“Then why didn’t you do anything to stop them?” The now toddler snorted. “I’m young but not fool, _Sensei._ What the other kids did is called _bullying.”_ At his words both adults paled, and bet he had enjoyed to deliver the proverbial bitch slap. They pretty much deserved it. “And it doesn’t happens because we’re children! It happens because they’re doing bad things, and you don’t have the guts to step in and call them out!”

 _You call out the one who tries to stop them instead,_ was left without said.

“Katsuki-kun, you have to understand.” Okumura dared to kneel before him, even if Katsuki’s body language screamed _‘don’t.’_ “Izuku-kun is different–”

 _“How?_ He was quirkless yesterday, and the day before that, the week, the month and every-single-year since he was born! And he wasn’t labeled as ‘different’ then!” Scarlet eyes dared any of them to say otherwise, but fortunately they were utterly astonished to even think about it. “You’re not helping by doing nothing, you’re teaching my classmates that being mean is something approved by society. You’re teaching that making fun of someone because they’re awkward, or doesn’t fit in, makes them _better_ than said person _._ You’re teaching to do _bad,_ is good.” Fujisaki's jaw clenched at those words, the last line apparently getting his attention. _Great._ “Perhaps you don’t care or don’t see it now, but one of them could become easily a villain. Today you’re teaching them to be hypocrites; tomorrow they would be little assholes who disrespect the law and do as they please, without minding who they had to step on to get what they want.” The blond eyed directly towards the man as he put the cherry on the top of the cake: “And it’ll be all your fault as adults.”

Katsuki wanted to go on and keep talking, but he already told more than he should. A brat shouldn’t sound this reasonable at his age. He had to stop right there.

Still...

If they were hoping the children would get tired of mocking Deku and stop by their own desire, they were fooling only to themselves. All the pair would be doing is waiting the kids grown up enough to pass down the problem to another, and those teachers who would come after them might likely do just the same. These children would be neglected, and God knows what they would end being like without properly guidance. And why would all that be? Because Fujisaki and Okumura did not their goddamned work, not calling out bullshit when they saw it.

Katsuki, however, dared to finalize his scolding —because yes, he was a freaking four-year old boy who had just scolded his elders— with a variation of an iconic, disappointed mother’s line:

“Now, think about what you two didn’t do. And then analyze why it was wrong.”

 

* * *

 

Bakugou stepped back in the room and all the ruckus died. Not even the troublemakers who used to hang out around him muttered a word, which was at least a sign that no one wanted to go against his words after his previous outburst.

It felt bad to control them that way. Truly, he never wanted to be feared. It wasn’t the kind of person he wanted to be. Not as Syaoran, nor as Katsuki. Yet, he hadn't exactly a lot of options at the moment. If the adults nowadays already forgot about the important values in life, someone else had to teach these kids, and since the blond couldn’t use fancy words to pursuing his goal... conditioning them this way was all that was left, at least for now.

Whereas Katsuki was the mentally elder person in the Daycare, he was just a child for everyone else; even if he’d pretty good logic arguments up his sleeve, and miraculously the adults in his way were oblivious enough not to take notice of his weird behavior, not everyone would listen to a kid. Hence, the blond had to start forcing the habit in the children for good, until Bakugou was old enough to explain things without being looking down at.

The time to go home comes and Katsuki just lies to Masayuki-kun, insisting he was invited to spend the night at Deku’s and they would leave together with Mrs. Midoriya.

If the older boy noticed, he didn’t say anything, for what the blond will be always grateful. Masayuki-kun just ruffled both toddlers’ hair and flashed an encouraging smile to Izuku, before leading their usual group back to their neighborhood.

Mrs. Midoriya actually was going to pick Izuku today, so it was okay.

The two kids went to the playground and sat on the swings. Deku stared down to the floor, obviously not in the mood to play.

“Don’t let those idiots bother you, Izuku.” Bakugou spoke with confidence, because there wouldn’t be a single lie in his next words. He truly believed in them. “Being Quirkless is not a bad thing.”

The other boy sobbed quietly.

“You’re the only one who think that way, Kacchan.”

“Perhaps I am.” The little blond recognizes without much trouble. He couldn’t cover the sun with a finger, after all. “But do you know why, Izuku?” Scarlet eyes wait until the green of mop hair bounces as Izuku shakes his head. “Because long time ago I met a quirkless person, just like you.”

Now, _that_ did the trick.

“R-really?” Deku perked up at his words. “How–?”

“Hey, I’m trying to tell a story here.” Katsuki teases to lighten up the mood, also to successfully stop a batch of questions to being thrown at him in match two speed. “Wanna hear it or not?”

“I’m sorry, Kacchan!” Midoriya covers his mouth. “Please continue!” Is his half-muffled request.

Truth be told, the blond had no idea about what to say. He knew how to make feel his little friend better but, in order to do so, Katsuki had to go down into dangerous territory.

Casting a glance towards Izuku again, he makes his choice. Heavens be damned, but he couldn't let down this child.

Katsuki couldn’t bring himself to talk about Sakura, there was no way he could handle that. Fortunately there was no need to do so, since Sakura did not exactly fit as heroine for this story in particular, because… well, _most powerful sorceress in the world._ It would be a millennial lie to say she was Quirkless even if, _technically,_ she was.

Izuku needed a heroine he could sympathize with. And while Meilin was one hundred percent Quirkless and someone Deku _would_ admire, she was also the polar opposite of him and that might discouraged the boy, and the less Katsuki wanted was to accidentally giving his friend a complex.

Syaoran’s cousin had both will of steel and iron fists. Quirkless or not, she was a warrior and no one dared _ever_ to treat her like anything else. Meilin Li knew what she was worth and never left someone step on her.

_(She broke statues with her bare-hands at the age of eleven, for the love of God)._

So, no. Unless extreme badassery or a script to make an asian remake of Xena: Warrior Princess, was required, Meilin also wasn’t fitted to be Izuku’s heroine.

In the end, Katsuki chose to tell Izuku about Tomoyo. Neither a fighter, nor a sorceress. Just a normal girl with normal talents.

… Okay, so. Maybe _‘normal’_ was not the proper term _._ However, it was undeniable she fitted the best.

“As I was saying.” The boy began, taking a deep breath just in case. Hoping he wouldn’t get too emotional over this. “Long time ago (don’t remember how much), I met a quirkless girl… just like you.” And Bakugou made eye contact as soft smile spread across his chubby face. “She reminded me of a lily: graceful, fragile and ethereal. In truth, she had a delicate appearance, a reserved personality and a heart full of beautiful feelings. She was a natural-born princess.”

Deku listened intently, trying to portrait this person in his imagination, even if he didn’t understand some of the words Kacchan was making use of. He managed to get it, though the only image which seemed closest to his friend’s words was an old illustration he recalled, one of Kaguya-hime his mother once taught him.

“She became a dear friend of mine.” And Izuku felt envy of this person already, because he’d never seen Kacchan like… _like that._ So sad, yet somewhat happy at the same time.

The freckled boy might didn’t understand the whole situation, but he caught the gist of it: it must be that Kacchan couldn’t see her again, and that’s why he looked so hurt.

 _'Kacchan must cherish this princess a lot',_ Deku realized.

“I’ve never been good at expressing my feelings, but she was able to understand me effortlessly; in my moments of doubt, she gave me courage; in the hard times, she gave me support; when I didn’t know what to do or needed to vent out, she listened to my problems and gave me her advice.” The blond cleared his throat. _No,_ Bakugou swore he was done with fucking moping. No more crying. And definitely not in front of the little Midoriya. “Not just me, in fact, she was a pillar for all her loved ones. She was observant. She was wise, generous and selfless.”

Deku stared down at the ground again, biting his lower lip.

“Huh, she sounds like someone very special... unlike me.”

“Bullshit!” Katsuki snickered, startling the other. “You two are more alike than you think, Izuku. She was stubborn, protective with her loved ones, always giving all of herself, pouring every ounce of her being into things she was passionate about. She seemed as a small and harmless little thing... but could be fierce than anyone else. _So are you.”_ He jumped off the swing he sat on and bent to make eye contact with the other kid. “She sometimes acted silly, said and did things that would get you to laugh, hard.”

Because no, Daidouji Tomoyo hadn’t been the flawless, well-behaved, trophy girl. His best friend had looked the Yamato Nadeshiko part, but honestly, she’d loved to fool around sometimes and be just another girl when she had time to. Not to mention, Tomoyo was _really_ into her hobbies and not even staring into the eye of a freaking dragon, would scare that woman.

“And surprisingly enough, she didn’t stand out that much. My friend was good than most, yet humbly kept a low profile– but when she did the things she loved… she shone.” Katsuki lifted up Izuku’s head carefully with his both hands. “And so you do, Izuku.”

Deku unmistakably started to tear up, but it wasn’t out of sadness this time.

“My friend didn’t have any quirk, but still was special. Still was stronger than others. I think people have a wrong concept of what strength is, Izuku; people believe being strong means that you’re powerful, flawless, physically fitted.” _And that was both true and so wrong,_ Bakugou left without said. “But power alone eventually corrupts, you know? If you have a fragile mind... it doesn’t matter how much power you have at your own disposal, because in the end you could depart from the path you chose to follow at the beginning; if you are prideful, you can become an arrogant and frivolous person. If you only make excuses and hide behind lies, you’ll become just a babbler.”

Midoriya’s sobs lowered and his green eyes stared into the scarlet ones, trying very hard to absorb every word.

“For me, the strength is not letting fear win inside your heart. Standing up, even if you feel fear and do what is needed when it is needed, that's true bravery. Doing something without thinking because you know it's the right thing, because you don’t need another reason to act. Because you don’t need a reason to help someone else.” The blond paused. “For me, that’s what means to be a Hero.”

“Kacchan...”

“And it’s because I believe in that,” he cut Deku, “that she was a Hero to me. That’s why I think you can be a Hero, too.”

The freckled boy couldn’t help it. He gave Kacchan a bone-crushing hug.

“K-Kacchan!” The small Midoriya sobbed, almost choking. He didn’t care though.

The words Izuku wanted to hear the most were said by someone he admired. Not once, but _twice._ The others gave up on him before the news broke out. And even his mom gave up yesterday after hearing the Doctor.

But his friend… _his friend…_

“Trust yourself a little more, Izuku.” Kacchan said as he stroked the messy mass of curly hair. “It may not be in the near future, but someday other people will be able to see your true self. You’re the kind of person capable of giving others the push they need to change for the better.” Izuku grip on Katsuki’s shirt tightened as he swore taking those words by heart. “You’re the kind of person who wouldn’t ignore other people’s pain. You’ve got a big golden-heart, so _I know_ that someday you’ll be able to rise and reach out other people’s hearts.”

That day, Bakugou Katsuki gave Midoriya Izuku something more valuable than just a good advice and some kind words.

“You’ll make a great Hero, don’t let anyone to say you otherwise.”

The blond gave him hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is non-beta-ed, so feel free to point out my mistakes. After all English is not my mother tongue.


	4. A Mother's Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively: I can't believe my first slumber party was that awkward.
> 
> Or: Bakugou Katsuki can't stop meddling for everyone's sake.

**_A Mother’s Cry_ **

Midoriya Inko had no idea of what was awaiting her in the Daycare.

The only thing the woman was certain of, was that the uneasy feeling that sunk in her stomach early that morning, when she dropped Izuku by, was quickly evolving into a bad case of anxiety with each step she took near her destination.

Quirkless people were uncommon nowadays, and both Midoriya Inko and Midoriya Hisashi were not part of that aggrupation, that was why neither her son nor she were expecting this turn of events. The look on Izuku’s face when the Doctor made his announcement broke her heart.

Inko called Hisashi after tucking Izuku in bed, seeking for his support and advice. She got in the voicemail instead.

There was no point in trying twice, her husband was a busy man after all, so Inko hung up and cried all night on the cold nest of loneliness that was her bed, until she managed to slip into a restless sleep. Only to wake up staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, the daylight making her sore eyes ache and worsening her rather nasty headache, guilt and sadness swirling inside her in a chaotic maelstrom.

_‘Mom, can I be a hero too?’_

Why, just _why?_   Why had this to happen to him? Why Izuku had to go through this nightmare?

_‘I’m sorry, Izuku!’_

Her son was so young; he had a lot to give and a lot to do, her little Izuku didn’t deserve this cruelty.

_‘I’m sorry.’_

He didn’t deserve that his own mother couldn’t support his dreams, even if they were already crushed by reality.

_‘I’m so sorry.’_

It was just too much for her to bear.

Inko was insecure about so many things already– Herself, her family and now the future, _Izuku’s future._ Izuku is all she has, as Hisashi is out there overseas… somewhere where a chemical engineer is required. Sometimes, she even feared her husband was dead when he spent a long time without giving her a call.

If something happened to Izuku, Inko honestly wouldn’t know what to do. Her son dreamed about being a Hero since he can remember and, of course, she wanted to support her little ray of sunshine, but heroing was already dangerous enough.

She was willing to let Izuku chase after his dreams because Quirks at least gave Inko some sense of reassurance. However, her Izuku has no quirk, her reassurance is now gone and the job he dreamed of became riskier. Let alone what people would say.

Inko didn’t care about the neighbors, she was rather used to them whispering about her family when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. They said she was naïve,  hopefully waiting for the day Hisashi would come back home; others even dared to imply that her husband didn’t exist at all, that she just made him up.

But Inko knew better her situation than them, so she paid no mind.

No, Midoriya Inko didn’t care about the neighbors, but the children and how Izuku’s newfound quirkless state would affect the rather fragile bonds he’d managed to make.

Kids could be unintentionally ruthless, she knew that well; Inko had prepared herself in advance for the worst-case scenario to happen, just in case everything went downhill from here. Minority always had to deal with bigger hardships. It was sad, it was unfair, yet it was a fact.

So, when she found her son clinging onto Katsuki’s t-shirt as if it was a lifesaver, Inko naturally panicked.

“What happened?!” Soon enough, the woman was kneeling before the kids, carefully trying to pry Izuku away from the small blond to check on him. It wasn’t an easy task. Inko didn’t know what hurt her the most: if the fact that her son seemed to be upset to _that_ degree, or that said son flinched away from her touch.

Katsuki watched the exchange intently.

He didn’t know _that much_ about Midoriya Inko, despite the obvious fact of she being Izuku’s mother; due to Mitsuki’s helpful input, he only knew Bakugou Masaru and the woman were classmates in high school, and that to this day they had a friendship steady enough to hang out once in a while. That and barely a thing concerning the husband out of the picture.

In their trip to Disneyland she seemed like a harmless thing, kind and caring. An average good mother. But Midoriya Inko was human, she was allowed to make mistakes.

Katsuki just didn’t want to _Izuku_ being one of these mistakes.

“Izuku? Come here, dear.” The attempts of luring her son into her arms might have worked, hadn’t she had the worry written down all over her face. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Tell mommy what happened.”

Syaoran had never been a father, but he was an uncle. The man knew a few things about kids. For example, he knew that in order to feel safe, children needed someone able to provide steadiness. Obviously, looking composed wasn’t one of Mrs. Midoriya’s strengths, as she apparently was a very sensitive person and an open book for everyone to read.

No wonder Izuku was a trainwreck, then.

They weren’t bad treats for someone to bear, nor it meant the woman wasn’t reliable. Actually, it was quite the contrary. An ideal mother often showed those traits in media. The thing is… that kind of people often were afraid of hurting others and tried to avoid it with all their might, which ironically led them to hurt their beloved ones anyways.

Bakugou sighed, not wanting to witness this scene any further.

“Auntie.” Inko looked up a little startled, as if recalling the boy was here. Not that he could blame her for forgetting about his presence. If Katsuki were in her place, ignoring everyone in the room but his upset son would be just logical, a parent has priorities after all.

“… K-Katsuki-kun?” The mother tilted her head in wonder. “What are you doing here? I’m sure Masayuki-kun left already.”

Their eyes locked.

“I lied to him.” There was no shame in his tone; after all, he didn’t regret a thing. Syaoran had failed many people before. His mother, his sisters and wife were on the top of the list. “Izuku needed me, so I couldn’t fail to him.” _I would not._

Her green eyes widened, filled with understanding.

“K-Katsuki-kun!” Then she began to cry.

You know what they said: the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

 

* * *

 

Bakugou Katsuki quickly discovered he was soft for the Midoriyas, and that was an understatement.

He realized this as Izuku’s mom —who cried her worries out in front a child, while hugging the shit out of him—, decided to play along with his lie by telling Okumura-sensei that she was walking him home today. Which technically was accurate. Inko would walk Katsuki to _her_ home, that part just got _conveniently_ lost in the exchange of words between the two women.

Honestly, it was the logical course of actions to follow given the circumstances. Katsuki wasn’t willing to leave Deku’s side yet, and the aforesaid wouldn’t let him go no matter how hard they tried to separate the both of them… which, truth be told, hadn’t been that hard. Therefore, after a quick call to Mitsuki, they decided Katsuki would spend the night at the Midoriya’s.

It seemed like a great deal, to have a sleepover and the opportunity of giving Mrs. Midoriya both a hand and life-advice, hoping it would help her with the on-going situation. The blond sure as hell had no complains about the whole arrangement. If anything, things were going just as smoothly as he planned.

Katsuki held Mrs. Midoriya’s hand all the way to the apartment, as Izuku was still reticent to come near his mother, having to hold the blond’s instead.

It wasn’t like the boy hated Inko, he would never; nor that he blamed her for not having a quirk. Deku was a kid, but no fool.

Right now, he was just deep in thought.

Katsuki had said some controversial things early and Izuku just needed time to process his words properly, because as encouraging and accurate as they might have been, for five years of his existence Midoriya Izuku was taught that Quirks were everything in society. That flashy appearances and raw power was all you needed to be a Hero. And Bakugou just kinda came in and called bullshit all the freckled-boy was made believe.

So, yeah. Izuku had a lot of food for thought to go through.

The blond squeezed Mrs. Midoriya’s hand tightly, making her glancing up, ready to ask if he needed anything. But nothing came out of her mouth in the end, having caught a glimpse of her son staring quizzically at her direction.

Katsuki grinned as Izuku’s eyes darted shyly away from her figure towards the ground once more.

Yes, they were going to be okay.

 

* * *

 

The mood lightened a little after that brief exchange, at least enough to make the walk to the Midoriyas’ place shorter than expected.

“Alright boys, I’m going to prepare the bathroom! You can play in Izuku’s room meanwhile; I’ll call you when I’m done, okay?” Inko announced as Izuku kicked off his shoes and raced towards his bedroom, forcing Katsuki to chase after him.

“‘Kay, Auntie! See ya!” The blond replied before entering to the dorm, carefully closing the door behind him. Bakugou frowned as he spotted the little owner of the room hiding under his bed, the nearest thing to an ostrich burying its head in the sand Katsuki had ever seen. “Izuku,” the freckled-kid winced, “what was that?” If someone had to show disappointment to help this child to pull himself together, then it would be. “Look, I get that you need time, but that’s not excuse to being rude with your mother.”

At least Izuku had enough decency lasting within not to go and try to deny his statement.

“… D-do you think… do you think she’s mad at me?” The child asked as he buried his face on his hands. If it was out of distress or embarrassment out of reflection for what he had done, Katsuki couldn’t tell.

“Your mom?” A blond eyebrow raised. His little friend nodded.

Katsuki paused a moment to ponder his options, former experience as Favorite Uncle ready to show once more.

On one hand, Katsuki could lie and tell Deku that Inko was mad, but there’s no guarantee that the boy would apologize with his mother right away. In fact, there was the possibility that by scaring him the karma slapped the youngest Bakugou in the face, with a panicking Izuku refusing to face his mother. That not only would make things worse, but an unnecessary problem would be born of it. The same possibility existed if the blond just told the truth: Midoriya Inko wasn’t mad, but hurt nonetheless.

The right answer was obvious:

“Nah, you’re delusional.”

“B-but she seemed so upset before!” Well, of course, the youngest Midoriya had eyes. Obviously he had noticed something was wrong, even if he didn’t understand fully _why._

“That was because _you_ were upset, Izuku.” The blond pointed out, coolly. “Like a chain reaction, you two seem almost like animals communicating through pheromones; she felt your distress and panicked as well in response.”

“Like what?”

 _Fuck,_ Katsuki seriously needed stopping giving himself away like that.

Bakugou Katsuki was supposed to be a normal kid, or at least normal in the new standards. _A kid._ Why was that hard to remember? He almost felt it for Eriol. If the damn bastard had to go through this tiresome process before anyone else, then no wonder why he had been a pain in the ass when had to go fully in Clow’s glorified errand boy mode.

“That’s cool, where did you get it?” Yes, it was a coward move. And yes, it wasn’t the most brilliant deflection ever, but it worked as Izuku crawled out of his hideaway to follow Katsuki’s pointing finger.

The spark ignited in the gleaming green eyes, as Deku began to talk about the super rare All Might’s figurine that his father had sent for Izuku’s last birthday.

Katsuki sighed inwards, feeling relieved. _Crisis deflected._

 

* * *

 

Katsuki had many, _many_ regrets.

The bath time was embarrassing. In fact, to say he was flustered throughout the whole process and its aftermath was a supreme understatement. _Of course_ the two of them had to bath with Inko, they were children, and Mitsuki still had to bath Katsuki at home. Why would be different at the Midoriya’s? Honestly, he should have saw it coming.

Luckily enough, it seems that mother and son were able to work things out at some degree, if rather awkwardly, while their personal helper was out of commission.

Not that Katsuki was complaining about _that._

“Kacchan, are you okay?” Izuku worriedly called for him after Inko left them in the former’s room, while she went off to finish the preparations for dinner.

“Yeah.” The blond answered as he fought against the urge of smacking his forehead against the nearest wall. “Just… gimmie a sec.”

The newfound level of self-awareness that came with his soul awakening was a double-edged sword, the boy felt rather idiot for just noticing it.

Katsuki shouldn’t have minded at all, parents were supposed to take care of their children. Period.

Except that, Bakugou Katsuki wasn’t just an innocent, tiny moron anymore. Maybe in body but not in core. No matter if he, _technically,_ never experienced a single thing in flesh, the blond still had the memories and experiences of a grown man. Syaoran’s criteria, morals, beliefs and knowledge. Katsuki knew what was right and wrong now, and most important: _why._

So yes, bath time was totally innocent and normal thing, but it didn’t make it either less embarrassing or uncomfortable to him.

The boy breathed in, out. Then finally reached for a conclusion.

 _“Okay.”_ He told himself, softly patting his pinky cheeks. “Okay, there’s nothing I could’ve done about that. Let’s move on.”

Izuku just looked at him, doubtfully.

“Are you suuure you’re okay, Kacchan?”

 

* * *

 

Diner was awkward as hell, and Katsuki hated he couldn’t help to lit up the mood a little due to how ashamed he was. So, instead of making an attempt to talk with Mrs. Midoriya like a decent human being, there he was: eagerly digging in his katsudon just to have an excuse not to talk anyone else in the table– Until he choked.

“Kacchan!” Izuku cried out his name in worry.

“Careful there, Katsuki-kun!”

Inko was quickly on her feet. The boy found her keeling next to him at the speed of light, patting his back and with glass of water on her free hand. She held it out for him once he was done with coughing. Katsuki thanked her hoarsely, before taking the glass with both hands and swallowing all the liquid until it was empty.

“That’s why you shouldn’t eat that fast, dear. Food can go the wrong way.” The woman scolded him, rather sympathetically, making clear she was worried instead of mad.

“Yeah, thanks Auntie.” Bakugou wasn’t in a state to come up with a better reply, not with a sore throat at least.

“Don’t scare us like that again, okay? Izuku and I would be worried sick if something happened to you.” With that, she stood up again, her hand halfway to grasp and take care of the empty glass.

At least these were her intentions.

“Mum!” Izuku surprised the both of them with his call out of the blue.

“Izuku?!” Inko said back, already looking at the toddler in search for signs of discomfort. Did she always thought the worst of any situation or was it a recent thing? “Are you okay? Does something hurts? Do you feel dizzy?”

Katsuki already could tell what his friend was about to said. Honestly, hadn’t Bakugou know beforehand, it was easy to say what Deku’s intentions were; the way he looked down, clenched fist onto his All Might’s onesie pants, clearly told enough for those who knew him:

“… I’m sorry.”

 _‘Fucking finally’,_ the blond though while hiding a smirk.

Mrs. Midoriya shut down for about four seconds, before catching up with the meaning behind her son’s words. Inko’s eyes widened, but soon enough they settled half-lidded as she glanced affectionately towards Izuku.

“Izuku.” The woman said as she kneeled again, this time in order to facing her child. Izuku, however, refused to look up. “Izuku, dear. Look at me.” She carefully reached out for his chubby face. He peered up at her touch. “Why are you apologizing for?”

Tears began to take form on the corners of the kid’s eyes.

_“B-because I hurt you.”_

Izuku maybe was the one having trouble for speaking, but Inko was the one that nearly choked at the statement. She looked alarmed, totally caught off guard, as if the green-haired woman couldn’t believe her son was blaming _himself._

“Izuku, honey, that’s not…”

“Don’t lie!” Deku had burst in tears at this point. “Kacchan saw it, and I think he’s right!”

Utterly lost, the woman glanced towards their little guess, muttering a small: _“Katsuki-kun…?”_

“Kacchan told me, Mum.” Izuku said, but there was something about his words that didn’t gave the feeling that he was talking about his former declaration. “He told me I can be a Hero too!”

“He did… that?” Inko looked so absolutely out of tune that it was somewhat hilarious. Hadn’t the situation been as serious as it was, Katsuki would have laughed wholeheartedly.

“I just said the truth.” He admitted instead, getting both Midoriya’s attention. “Just because Izuku doesn’t have a quirk, it doesn’t mean he can’t be a Hero.”

Mrs. Midoriya opened her mouth, as if to say anything; but as soon as it was, she pressed her lips together again. She glanced to Katsuki, then to Izuku. If she hadn’t put two and two together by know it would be totally a surprise.

Inko bitted her lower lip.

“Izuku…” Oh boy, Katsuki knew that shitty tone. The _‘I know how the real world is like, and I don’t want to crush your dreams even if I’ve to’_ tone. That one parents often used to convince children that doing something in particular wasn’t a good idea, just because they couldn’t honestly tell to their kid’s faces that it was actually a pretty stupid, potentially dangerous idea. “All I want is to you be happy, you know that, right?”

Of course, Izuku replied as expected:

“Yes, Mum. I know!”

Truly, the boy really knew that his mother loved him; Midoriya Inko made sure her little Izuku always knew how loved he was. Even if his father wasn’t around she would love and shower him with affection for the two of them.

 _Midoriya Izuku is loved,_ that’s a fact.

“But it hurt…” This time, Izuku was the one who bitted his lower lip. “When you said ‘sorry’ instead of ‘you can do it’… it hurt a lot, Mum.”

Inko tried hard to fight against her own tears.

_She lost._

“Oh, Izuku!” The woman caught her son in a tight embrace. “It’s not that I don’t believe that you can be a Hero! It’s just… it’s _hard,_ Izuku. Our society goes harsh with quirkless people; I didn’t want to hurt you more… I just wanted to protect you.” She sobbed. “I accept you, Izuku. I’ll always love you no matter the way you are. Quirk or not, I’ll still love you.”

“Be honest with him, Auntie. He deserves that at the very least.” Katsuki cut in, the steeled tone in his voice startling the woman. “Do you _believe_ he can be a Hero?”

Midoriya Inko had a good soul; she was a caring mother and a nice person in general. However, they couldn’t just dance around the subject like that forever, it wasn’t good neither for Inko nor for Izuku.

The woman glanced up and looked at those ruby eyes staring back at her.

She wanted to say _yes,_ that she believed in her son. That her son could be the best Hero ever if he tried his hardest. But if she said so, it would feel like lying.

“I…” Nothing else came out.

“So, Izuku can’t be a Hero because people say so?” Katsuki’s words felt like a sword stabbing her in the chest. “Then if someone told me to go and throw myself off a bridge, I should listen and do it because that’s what they say? That’s bullshit, Aunty!”

The thing that hurt the most? The tiny four-year old blond was _right._

“I never say that!” If someone asked, she would call it speaking with technicality, but Inko knew that was just a utter negation from her part. “I never said Izuku can’t!”

“But you didn’t say he can, either.” _Touché._ “And that’s why Izuku got hurt in first place.”

 

* * *

 

Nobody feel like to end their meal after that, but they had to. Once they finished, Inko had tucked both children in Izuku’s bed and bidden them a good night.

As soon as her footsteps were out of earshot, Deku spoke:

“Hey, Kacchan?”

“Yeah?” Katsuki turned aside in order to face Izuku, who was staring at the ceiling covered in colorful stars from his night light. An apology was already in the tip of the blond’s tongue.

“Thanks for today.”

There was nothing to thank him for, honestly. Bakugou was sticking his nose in someone else’s business. On top of it, he was doing a poor job, as things between Inko and Izuku just became difficult.

Katsuki might had good reasons, but his actions weren’t thoroughly right either.

Even so, he got what Deku meant. _Thank you for standing up for me today._

“That’s what friends are for, idiot.”

 

* * *

 

Katsuki awoke in the middle of the night.

The blond swallowed a scream as his hands clenched onto the blankets, trying his best to calm down his heavy breathing. The fact that Izuku kept sound asleep next to him was proof enough that Katsuki was getting good at this.

It used to happen often, Bakugou Katsuki would close his eyes and suddenly he would become Syaoran Li again.

The first nights were the worst, dreaming repeatedly of his death. Katsuki’s parents were in alert and high on coffee for five days in a row, but once the boy managed not to scream _externally,_ waking up everyone and the grim reaper itself in the process, things started getting a little better. Now, if Katsuki was lucky enough, he got that damned memory just two or three times on week, while the rest days would be either dreamless or another memories would pop up instead.

It didn’t meant that they were automatically good ones, but they weren’t necessarily bad either; it was mostly a random thing.

Today, however, it was one of these memories he hated the most.

Once his breathing was steady enough, Katsuki stealthily crawled out of the bed and left the room as silently as a mouse. The boy needed to cool off and couldn’t risk Izuku waking up and finding him looking so obviously distressed.

Now outside the blond buried his face on his hands and inhaled deeply. Truth be told, Bakugou wasn’t surprised. With the current situation between the Midoriyas he’d had a big red flag hanging all over the place. Katsuki had made small comparisons to himself early on, but he avoided going too deep in his observations in order not to trigger _that specific memory._

He was a fool for believing it would work.

A familiar face popped up, a hurt expression Syaoran never saw in that person before _that day_. Her words filled with despair will haunt him forever: _‘I don’t blame Sakura-chan for this, I truly don’t. I was the one to decide chasing after her as if she was a colorful butterfly. I just don’t understand, Syaoran. Why me?’_

An unexpected sound made him jump.

Katsuki reacted predictably, going full alert in automatic. His eyes squinted the living room, warily, as if someone would jump out of the shadows at any second.

Mrs. Reality, however, was slightly less cruel this time and there was no menace inmediate around. Although that by any means it meant there were no problems at all. There was one sitting on the couch, the source of the sound– Mrs. Midoriya, who else if not her, sobbing as quietly as she could.

She looked… small. Smaller than him, and that scared Katsuki enough to talk:

“Aunty?”

“Katsuki-kun…!” This startled the woman, who looked up and hastily tried to clean the mess of tears she was once her eyes lied on his small frame. “Ah, look at the hour! What are you doing out of bed?” Inko tried to divert his attention in vain, but Katsuki preferred not to point it out; Mrs. Midoriya would keep serene around him if she thought she got away with it.

Therefore, Katsuki answered her question with a simple:

“Nightmare.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. He could call a fair amount of Syaoran’s memories nightmares due to how disturbing some of them were.

Deku’s mother covered her mouth with both hands before standing up.

“God! A-Are you okay?” She asked in concern. “Oh, silly me. Of course you’re not. I can warm up some milk for you if you can’t sleep, what do you say?”

“Sure.” The blond accepted, mostly because otherwise an awkward atmosphere would settle down. If cooking at midnight helped to ease Mrs. Midoriya’s distress enough to talk with him, then sure enough he would play along.

Without any other words between them, Inko went to the kitchen while Katsuki sat on the dinner table. Except by the small clattering from the silverware, another kitchen items and the cupboards, silence fell between them.

He wanted to start a conversation, but didn’t know _how._

Syaoran was always the worst when it came to comfort people. He spent the first ten years of his life being a lonely wolf, because that’s how he was taught to be: independent, without need of rely on anyone but himself. Syaoran’s sisters were much better at this than he was. Despite the way the Li Clan raised their children, Fuutie, Feimei, Fanren and Shiefa were all sensible an outgoing people.

Even people close to Syaoran were better at comforting others than him. Sakura, bless her golden heart, could ease the mood effortlessly with a silly comment or just by spilling her true feelings and thoughts about the matter. Meilin was painfully straightforward but she always made the things work through, somehow. Tomoyo was the kind of person that could make you blurt out _everything_ with just a serene stare, not to mention her holy patience to keep up with other’s bullshit.

God, even _Yamazaki_ was better at this than he was. If Yamazaki were in his place, he would crack a joke or tell one of his famous lies to break the ice.

Sadly, Bakugou Katsuki wasn’t the mythomaniac of Yamazaki Takashi nor he had enough confidence in himself to say something without messing up. Fortunately enough, he didn’t need to say anything, because Inko broke the ice by herself in the end:

“Aren’t you that scared, are you?”

“Nah, it wasn’t a big deal.” Now that was a blatant lie, because _it was a big deal_. The only truth in his statement was that Katsuki wasn’t scared. The boy felt impotent for sure, but he wasn’t scared– _not for himself, at least._ Yet, is not as if he could do anything for something that already happened, right?

“D-do you have nightmares often?” Inko asked again while mixing the milk in the pot.

“Yeah.” There was no point in denying that. “A lot.”

The woman stopped moving for about seven seconds, before turning around. A frown of concern on her face.

“… D-do you parents know?”

“I’d rather prefer them not finding out.” Katsuki answered truthfully. He had the feeling Mrs. Midoriya wouldn’t out him if he didn’t want to, something that just a few people made him feel certain about before. “They’re pretty busy, as I’m sure you know.” The boy left rest his head on his bare hand. “Just because I can’t get enough sleep it doesn’t mean I should make them go through the same, I don’t wanna bother them with something petty.”

“Katsuki-kun…” Inko looked at him, eyes wide. “You were always like this?”

The blond swung his tiny legs and hummed while wondering. Should he be honest? Should he tell a lie? It wasn’t an open question, so as long as he had not to give any explanations it was okay, right?

“No.” He settled for the truth in the end.

“… You sure have grown up a lot since last time I saw you.” The woman’s look went from surprised one to a warm one.

“You can say so.” It wasn’t a lie, either.

“Honestly, you amaze me.” Mrs. Midoriya said as she turned off the stove. “I think I understand now why Izuku is so thrilled when he talks about you.” A blond eyebrow arose at her comment. “You speak better than most kids of your age; you’re smart and look at you, already thinking like an adult!” Inko sighed deeply. “… I must be pathetic in your eyes.”

He snapped up his head at her words.

“What? No, that’s not true!”

“I must be.” She repeated, stubbornly. There was an underlying tone in her voice… as if she admitted defeat. “I can’t tell my own son I believe in him, because I’m too preoccupied about what other people would say. Not about him, but _to him._ I’m such a coward!”

Katsuki wanted to say that Midoriya Inko wasn’t a coward, but it would be a lie; there was nothing to be ashamed for, though. Saying she was the one to blame alone would be a lie as well.

Mrs. Midoriya was just a woman, a mother, a human.

He truly understood her worries, why the woman feel the way she did. Had been Syaoran a father, he probably would have had mixed feelings as Inko; not everyone could be as strong as Syaoran’s mother, after all.

“Ah, sorry. I shouldn’t say these things in front of you.” Inko pressed her lips together in a tight line for what seemed like centuries, until she spoke again: “It’s just… sometimes everything is just… too much to bear.” She couldn’t help the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

“It’s okay!” Katsuki stood up on his seat.

He didn’t want Midoriya Inko to be sad.

Syaoran Li did know what sadness did to people, to lonely young women who always put a brave face and smiled brightly to hide their problems.

He couldn’t see that happen again. He just _couldn’t._

“I believe in Izuku, Aunty Inko!” That was an undeniable truth. The kid had the spark in his eyes and kind heart; if Deku showed enough determination, Bakugou truly believed his little friend could make it. “I know he can do it!”

“Oh, Katsuki.” Mrs. Midoriya sobbed, her lips curving up in a half-hearted smile. “You’re so sweet. But the real world isn’t how you think it is.”

 ** _‘I know!’_** Katsuki wanted to scream.

“Don’t give up in your son so easily!” The blond said instead, smacking his bare hands on the table as he held himself forward.

The woman’s eyes widened.

“So, yeah. Izuku is Quirkless. Big deal. He’s not a delicate flower, Aunty. Just because his path became rougher it doesn’t means that pursuing his goal is impossible.” They locked eyes. “Look at your son, _look at him._ Tell me if Izuku is anything like heroes nowadays. Is he flashy? Is he a fame-hungry, attention whore?”

“No– He’s nothing like that!”

“Exactly. And you know what? That’s precisely what will make him the greatest Hero ever!” Inko’s jaw dropped, tears streaming down her cheeks freely. “Izuku is selfless, he’s kind, and he _cares._ He’ll run in trouble without giving a second thought if someone ask for help! Izuku has a golden heart, Aunty. And that’s better than any quirk society could think of!”

Izuku was the kind of person that did the good because it was the right thing to do. He still had a long road ahead, but anyone who said he wasn’t Hero material was absolute, totally blind.

“I’m not giving up on him.” Bakugou Katsuki stated with fire settled in his eyes. “And you shouldn’t, either.”

Midoriya Inko’s buried her face on her hands, her knees gave away as she tried to muffle her cries. The woman was a mess, but he was able to hear her frail voice asking:

“… What did Izuku do to deserve a friend like you, Katsuki-kun?”

Katsuki grinned like a maniac. After all, that was an easy question to answer.

“He’s himself.”

Mrs. Midoriya cried louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while since last time I heard about my beta, so… yeah, another non-beta chapter. Please feel free to point out my mistakes and feed me back, I'm interested in improving my writting skill as I still feel somewhat awkward.
> 
> Anyways! Good news, everyone! The drama ends here. From now on only adventure and mystery awaits. Keep in tune.
> 
> Next chapter in a nutshell: summer is finally here, but so are Katsuki's relatives. Magical shenanigans. Katsuki being a lil shit. Some answers, but also more questions. A support character shows. Not exactly in that order.

**Author's Note:**

> The Reincarnated AU Crossover no one asked for! We have queers, angst and character death, but also kids trying their best and getting the help they fucking deserve. Characters from BNHA Illegals will show up from time to time, but you don’t have to read neither the spin-off nor Cadcaptor Sakura to understand what’s going on, especially the last one since I built an original trama from the adult-selves of this characters series who never appeared in canon. So, I'm gonna fill the holes in the narration. Don't worry about it.
> 
> The whole plot-line from BNHA is gonna change, so buckle your seatbelt and welcome to this crazy trip!


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